The scheme of "Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects" was introduced
by the Government of Japan in 1989, to provide timely assistance directly
to the activities of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), research
institutions, hospitals and local government, towards promoting welfare
of the people in developing countries. Projects eligible for the grant
assistance include such fields as primary healthcare, primary education,
care of the handicapped people, poverty alleviation, enhancing status
of women, public welfare, environment protection etc. The Embassy of
Japan and the Consulates General of Japan in Mumbai,
Kolkata and Chennai are in charge of this scheme in their respective
regions. Under this scheme, the Government of Japan provided assistance
totaling US$3,138,905 (15 Crore Rupees ) to 52 diverse
projects in different parts of India in 2002.www.japan-emb.org.in

(i) A grant amount of US$78,854
to Deepalaya, an NGO working with economically and socially
deprived children, for the construction of a new building to be used
as hostel cum rehabilitation center for 200 girls.

(ii) A grant amount of
US$18,502 to Disha, an NGOhelping women living in slums
or in rural areas attain self-reliance, for purchasing equipments
necessary for running vocational training courses in five slums of
Delhi.

(iii) A grant amount of
US$71,846 to Eye Research Centre Society, an NGO working for
the restoration of vision to the weaker sections of society by providing
specialized medical care facilities in rural slums and tribal areas
of Rajasthan, for purchasing one mobile medicare van and other ophthalmic
equipments.

(iv) A grant amount of
US$79,321 to Jal Bhagirathi Foundation, an NGO involved in
the construction of water harvesting structures aimed at empowering
villagers, for constructing water- harvesting structures like anicut,
johad and talab in the drought affected districts of
Rajasthan.

(v) A grant amount of US$52,297
to Prayas, an NGO running various programmes for underprivileged
children, including a special vocational and educational school for
the mentally challenged children, for the
construction of a School-cum-Vocational training center in Jaipur,
Rajasthan.

(vi) A grant amount of
US$75,949 to Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital, an NGO providing
good quality eye care to those people in the community who normally
cannot afford to pay for medical treatment, for procuring advanced
ophthalmic equipments, in order to serve a larger number of underprivileged
people of Delhi.

(vii) A grant amount of
US$78,484 to Lok Sewa Samiti, an NGO actively engaged in various
projects on rural development, especially water projects, for the
purpose of installing 77 hand pumps in the drought affected 49 villages
of Nagaur District, Rajasthan.

(viii) A grant amount of
US$30,093 to The North Eastern Boys’ Scout and Girls’ Guide Association,
an organization engaged in promoting education of children and
youth development, for the construction of a School building in Koirengei,
Imphal East, Manipur.

(ix) A grant amount of
US$2,922 to OISCA International North India, an NGO pursuing
projects on environment and sustainable development, for undertaking
Children’s Forest Program to grow mini forests in 10 schools of Delhi
and Haryana.

(x) A grant amount of US$76,691
to State Resource Centre, Bhartiya Grameen Mahila Sangh, an
NGO providing qualitative, academic and techno pedagogical resource
support to literacy program in Madhya Pradesh, for establishing a
Literacy Resource Centre for Girls and Women (LRC) intended to equip
them with tools such as literacy and vocational skills.

"Life's
most persistent and urgent question is 'What are you doing for others?'
" --Rev. Martin Luther King